A-League game of Wednesday August 26, 1998.
Here are the results of the A-League game between Toronto Lynx and Long Island Rough Riders played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto at 7:30pm.
Toronto Lynx (all white, blue names and numbers, blue & yellow chevrons on shoulders and shorts sides).
..........................................29 Jim Larkin
14 Dragan Ianosev...3 Franco Spadafina...4 Peter Sarantopoulos...16 Rick Titus
19 David DiPlacido...8 Brian Ashton...13 Kevin Holness...25 Martin Dugas
...........................6 Nikola Vignjevic...15 Isa Bulku
Subs:...1 Hubert Busby Jr (gk)...22 Theo Zagar (gk)...Marco Reda (def)...24 Robert Irvine (mid)...18 Edmond Lezha (mid)...11 Buzali Ghanti (fwd).
Team Officials:...head coach Peter Pinizzotto, assistant coach Armando Costa, equipment manager Sergio Grenci, medical coordinator Dr Gringmuth.
Long Island Rough Riders (all red, white names and numbers)
...........................................1 Manuel Carou
...............17 Laurence Piturro...5 Tom Lips...4 Travis Rinker...
10 Gerry Lucay...7 David Price (cpt)...25 Rogerio Lima...13 Sal Leanti...20 Ben Hickey
.....................15 Cordt Weinstein...9 Saul Martinez
22 Mike Mellis (gk)...6 Ronan Wiseman (def)...11 Daniel Leon (mid)...18 Carlos Ledeama (mid)...26 Roberto DaLuca (fwd)...2 Paul Riley
Team Official:...Paul Riley.
Game Officials:...referee Neil Schofield, referee's assistant Glen Sharkey and Frank Marchiello, 4th official Mark Merhdad.
1st Half:...Lynx defend south end...start 7:40pm.
4 min...RR Lucay freekick from right edge of box, RR forward gets diving header from 4 yards hits crossbar.
5 min...Lynx Vignjevic freekick on edge of box into edge of wall, Lynx Ashton lifts rebound from 18 yards well over bar.
5 min...RR YELLOW card...Lips for comments after that play. [keep 'em closed Tom!]
6 min...RR Weinstein 15 yard shot from right of box is well wide left.
10 min...RR Leanti 25 yard shot from left caught by goalie.
14 min...Lynx Dugas cuts towards net on left after great pass and 10 yard shot bobbled by goalie but caught on left side of net.
15 min...Lynx Vignjevic from 10 yards on right touch line into mesh of net.
15 min...RR Hickey shot from 12 yards deflects off fallen Lynx Spadafina over bar.
16 min...RR GOAL...Hickey gets 3 yard header into right corner of net from center after RR Lucay (assist awarded) corner kick from left.
18 min...Lynx Ianosev 15 yard shot along right touchline into side mesh of net.
22 min...RR Weinstein shot in box bobbled by defenders, but Lynx goalie picks it up so freekick called.
22 min...RR blast 6 yard freekick into full team wall hits crossbar and goalie catches rebound.
25 min...RR corner kick from left but ball cleared although Lynx goalie injured.
26 min...Lynx goalie slides to make save on left edge of box although rebound fortunately cleared.
27 min...Lynx defender heads away RR Martinez cross from right touch line.
29 min...Lynx Mella dives on edge of RR box but no call.
29 min...RR Martinez cuts 10 yard shot on 1 on 1 wide left.
31 min...Lynx Holness cross from right is volleyed from 7 yards on chip to goalie.
32 min...Lynx GOAL...Mella shot from 12 yards along left touch line tucks under sprawling goalie to inside of right post. (squeezed through goalie and post, remember US goalie Tony Meola in World Cup 1994?).
33 min...RR Martinez shanks 7 yard shot after cross from left that RR forward dummies to set him up.
38 min...Lynx Vignjevic heads cross from right off top of crossbar from 6 yards.
40 min...Lynx Dugas chips ball from 15 yards just wide right of post after offside trap sprung results in 2 on 1.
42 min...Lynx Dugas 12 yard blast well wide left after shove when kicking ball.
45 min...Lynx Ianosev 20 yard rebound shot over bar, after Lynx Mella bicycle kick from 18 yards blocked by defender.
2nd Half:...start 8:40pm.
50 min...RR GOAL...Weinstein gets 7 yard rebound to hit sprawling goalie's hands and deflect into top of net after Lynx Sarantopoulos had stopped 3 on 2 break.
53 min...Lynx Dugas chips 12 yard shot from right well over bar.
54 min...Lynx sub...Reda replaces Spadafina.
58 min...RR Lucay 20 yard shot rolls to goalie.
60 min...Lynx Dugas on 1 on 4 makes pass to offside player after RR giveaway on edge of box.
62 min...Lynx Vignjevic sends Lynx Mella on break but after sidestepping defender, shot saved by diving goalie.
64 min...Lynx Ianosev ends rally with weak scissor kick wide left after great set ups shanked or hit into defenders.
65 min...Lynx goalie picks up through ball ahead of RR Martinez in box.
69 min...RR YELLOW card...Hickey for tackle from behind after Lynx Ianosev had already cleared ball near midfield.
71 min...RR YELLOW card...Martinez for rough play at midfield.
..............Lynx YELLOW card...Titus for rough play at midfield.
72 min...Lynx sub...Irvine replaces Holness.
..............RR sub...Wiseman replaces Lima.
73 min...RR Lucay 25 yard shot wide left.
75 min...Lynx sub...Ghanti replaces DiPlacido.
77 min...Lynx goalie catches high cross from left.
77 min...RR RED (2nd YELLOW) card...Hickey for late foot up challenge on Lynx Ianosev who is injured on play.
78 min...Lynx sub...Lezha replaces injured Ianosev.
..............RR sub...Ledeama replaces Martinez.
80 min...Lynx Ashton 25 yard blast knocked out by diving RR goalie, rebound cross by Lynx player is ruled offside.
82 min...RR sub...DaLuca replaces Weinstein.
84 min...Lynx player 20 yard shot from left side deflects off defender to RR goal.
85 min...RR Lucay 20 yard shot wide left.
86 min...Lynx goalie stops through ball.
89 min...Lynx Mella point blank shot from 7 yards, big rebound not picked up by Lynx forwards.
Final Score:.......Toronto Lynx.......1.......Long Island Rough Riders.......2.....
Attendance was announced as 1512. There were six cheerleaders at tonight's game. The American anthem was a recording but the Canadian anthem was sung by Legends In Concert singer Rod Stewart. He was great singing acappella and then kicked a soccer ball into the crowd.
Lynx had given up their season by trading popular Elvis Thomas and Phil Caporrella to Montreal Impact for future considerations. It just screams cost cutting. Surprisingly they played no worse than they usually do which is playing good enough to win but never finish their scoring chances.
Tonight was the first announcement of the exhibition game against Persepolis from Iran.
Rocket Robin
robing@clo.com
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